1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to data communications. In particular, the invention relates to a novel and improved method and portable electronic device for accessing a remote computer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Data content is typically accessed locally while using computers, e.g. personal computer or company server. However, it is also possible to access content in a computer or network server remotely. In general terms, remote access is the ability to get access to a computer or a network from a remote distance. In corporations, people at branch offices, telecommuters, and people who are traveling may need access to the corporation's network.
A remote access server is the computer and associated software that is set up to handle users seeking access to network remotely. The remote access server usually includes or is associated with a firewall server to ensure security. It may also comprise a router that can forward the remote access request to another part of the corporate network. A remote access server may also be used as part of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
In order for a remote access connection to take place, the local machine must have a remote client software installed and the remote machine must have a remote server software installed. Also, at least a username and password is almost always required to authenticate the connecting user.
Remote access enables the ability to control the machine once the (remote) connection has been established. A remote access program can basically transform a local computer into a remote computer you connect to. This is advantageous for people who sometimes work e.g. from home and for server administrators who frequently need to update and make changes on their server machines. Most remote access programs also allow users to transfer files between the local and remote machines, which can save a lot of commuting time.
It is not any more uncommon that a user needs to remotely access some files located in a remote server. This is a major scenario in enterprises as disclosed above, but lately also valid in the home domain. People nowadays have an always-on broadband connection on their home networks and would like to access their personal files when out of home.
There exist many file transfer protocols, such as the File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Web-based Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDav) and Server Message Block (SMB) which all are Internet Protocol (IP) based protocols. Furthermore, solutions such as the Virtual Private Network (VPN) and IP Security (IPSec) are taken into use for securing the transfers in a way that traffic is encrypted end-to-end.
Let's assume that a user has a personal computer running at home (with routable IP address), and wants to remotely (for example from a friend's personal computer) access his home computer files. The user has to consider at the following three aspects:                Compatible client should be installed in a client computer. Depending on what file transfer protocol (e.g. WebDav, FTP, SMB) the server supports, the client computer should have a compatible client.        Setting up the connection in the client computer. Settings such as server's IP address, port, username and password need to be manually given in the client. Not so user friendly. Things are even more complicated if VPN is used, where policies need to be entered.        Security issues. When a username/password is manually entered using the keyboard, it is completely insecure. It is e.g. possible that someone is watching over the inserted data. Or when the client computer is not trusted, the owner of the client computer might have there a key logging application running. This is a typical security threat in all public computers (Internet Cafes etc.).        
The first aspect (transfer protocol dependency) is mainly solved by modern operating systems that include most file transfer clients by default. For example, the Windows XP has FTP, WebDav and SMB clients by default. However, this is not the case with older systems. The server may also require some other special protocol (such as VPN).
For the second aspect (that is, the easiness of setup), there have been some solutions, e.g. having a link (for example: ftp://user:pass@myhomepc.com:500/path) on a private webpage or file. Following the link instructs the client to connect on a specific server/port with a well known protocol and access the given path. However, this is not the case with all transfer and security protocols. If the VPN is required (for connecting to the home server), VPN policy files are needed, containing security signatures etc. Those files are VPN client dependant, meaning that they will not work with clients of different vendors.
For the third aspect (security), there have been some solutions mainly in the corporate environment. For example, the SecureID solution, which requires a special device for generating a new password every from time to time. However, these solutions are very “heavy” and practically impossible for the home users. For non-trusted clients, there has not been any solution currently.
Until now there has not been a concrete and especially simple and efficient solution that handles all the three above aspects (transfer protocol dependency, easy client configuration and security).